1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network system that is connected to terminals, printers, and servers via a network such as a LAN (local area network). The present invention also relates to a printer, a server, and a terminal, each used in the network system.
2) Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, the network system such as a LAN includes plural terminals (clients) 31A and 31B such as personal computers (two in figure), as shown in FIG. 6. The print server (server) 32 accepts print requests from the terminals 31A and 31B and then operates the printer 33 to execute the print request.
Where the printer 33 is used as a remote printer in the network system shown in FIG. 6, it just receives print request data, but does not issue a process request to the upper equipment (e.g. print server 32 or terminals 31A and 31B).
Hence, normally, if trouble such as paper jamming or paper shortage occurs in the printer S3, the abnormal state is alarmed to a user by displaying on the operator panel equipped on the printer 33 or sounding a buzzer. However, with the printer 33 located remotely away from the terminals 31A and 31B, if nobody is around the printer 33, finding the abnormal state of the printer 33 will be late.
If a print request for a resource (e.g. character resource) not stored in the printer 33 has come while the printer 33 is printing, any access cannot be performed to ask the upper equipment for the resource, whereby such a printing operation becomes impossible.
The present invention is made to overcome the above mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a network system with a printer which can gain a transmission access from a printer side to an upper equipment side, thus providing an improved operability at a printing process and an effective printing work.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer used in a network system which can gain a transmission access from a printer side to an upper equipment side, thus providing an improved operability at a printing process and an effective printing work.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a server used in a network system which can gain a transmission access from a printer side to an upper equipment side, thus providing an improved operability at a printing process and an effective printing work.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a terminal used for a network system which can gain a transmission access from a printer side to an upper equipment side, thus providing an improved operability at a printing process and an effective printing work.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, the network system connected to a terminal, a printer, and a server via a network, the server operating the printer in response to a print request from the terminal, the printer executing a print request from the terminal, is characterized by the printer connected to the network via a bi-directional communicable interface unit.
According to the present invention, the printer used in a network system, the printer connected to a terminal and a server via a network to execute a print request from the terminal accepted by the server, the printer executing a print request from the terminal, is characterized by the printer connected to the network via a bi-directional communicable interface unit.
According to the present invention, the server used in a network system, the printer connected to a terminal and a printer via a network, the server operating the printer in response to a print request from the terminal so that the printer executes the print request from the terminal, is characterized by a control processing unit for executing a process corresponding to a process request in response to the process request from the printer.
According to the present invention, the terminal used for a network system, the terminal connected to a printer and a server via a network, the terminal issuing a print request to the server to request the printer for printing, is characterized by request issuing means for issuing and transmitting a print control information setting request or print operation status reference request to the printer as a process request.
As described above, according to the present invention, the printer can not only receive data from an upper equipment side (a terminal or a server), but also gain a transmission access to an upper equipment side. Hence the operability in a printing process can be largely improved and the printing work can be effectively realized.